Cutting system means for severing a pipe



United States Patent 1111 3,5

[72] Inventor Sanford E. Coblitz [56] References Cited 567 Knollwood Ave., Ashtabula, Ohio UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,402,968 1/1922 Sanders 30/100 pp 93,802 2,949,669 8/1960 Wheeler..... 225/103 1 Filed 1969 3,221,962 12/1965 Small et al. 225/103 [451 Patented 17,197" 3,456,856 7/1969 Berberian et al. 225/103 Primary Examiner-Frank T. Yost Attamey-Woodling, Krost, Granger and Rust [54] CUTTING SYSTEM MEANS FOR SEVERING A PIPE i ABSTRACT: Cuttmg system means for severing a p1pe by the 9 Claims 9 Drawing Figs use of at least first and second cutting elements and including [5 2] US. Cl 225/103, a cutting chain disposed to be squeeze-drawn around said pipe 30/100 and provided with a plurality of cutting elements for cutting [5 1 Int. Cl. B261 3/00 into the wall of the pipe. Stop limit means are provided to limit [50] Field of Search 225/103, the extent that said first and second cutting elements may cut 97; 30/100, 92 into the wall of the pipe.

POWER ACTUATOR Patented Nov. 17, 1970 Sheet 1 of2 INVENTOR. EY SANFORD E COBLITZ WM,

Patented Nov. 17, 1970 3,540,640

INVHNTOR.

SANFORD E. COBLITZ CUTTING SYSTEM MEANS FOR SEVERING A PIPE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The prior art has disclosed different arrangements for severing a fracturable pipe by squeeze-drawing a cutting chain thereabout. In attempting to sever a pipe made of nodular (ductile) cast iron difficulty was experienced in using the prior art devices, in that said devices would not satisfactorily sever the ductile pipe. The ductile cast iron pipe would deform (buckle inwardly) at the places where the two end cutting elements were caused to cut too deeply into the pipe, with the result that the remaining cutting elements lost some of their force in cutting into the pipe for severing same.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to obviate the above-mentioned disadvantages.

Another object is to limit the extent that the elements may cut into the wall of the pipe.

Another object is the provision of stop limit means disposed to engage the wall of the pipe to prevent the two end cutting elements from cutting too deeply into the wall of the pipe.

Another object is the provision where the stop limit means may comprise any suitable means adapted to engage the wall of the pipe for keeping the two end cutting elements from cutting too deeply into the wall of the pipe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention may be incorporated in a cutting chain device for limiting the extent that the two end cutting elements may cut into the wall of the pipe and comprises cutting system means having at least first and second cutting elements and including a cutting chain disposed to be wrapped around said pipe and provided with a plurality of cutting elements for cutting into the wall of the pipe, first and second pressure clamp jaw means, first pin means engageable with said first pressure clamp jaw means, second pin means engageable with said second pressure clamp jaw means, said first and second cutting elements being respectively mounted on said first and second pin means, said first and second pressure clamp jaw means upon relative movement towards each other drawing said first and second cutting elements and said plurality of cutting elements inwardly against the wall of said pipe and forcing said cutting elements to cut into the wall of said pipe,

two end cutting and first and second stop limit means disposed to engage the wall of said pipe to limit the extent that said first and second cutting elements may respectively cut into the wall of said pipe.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of this invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of a pipe cutter embodying the features of my invention and shows a cutting chain wrapped around a pipe to be cut, the viewalso showing upper and lower stop limit roller means respectively mounted for movement with the upper and lower clamp jaw means;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the upper'clamp jaw means, with the upper stop limit roller means being removed therefrom;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary inside view of the upper clamp jaw means of FIG. 2, with a fragmentary portion ofa chain shown therein;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a fragmentary portion of the cutting chain and of the lower clamp jaw means drawn substantially to about one-third scale;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the cutting chain and of the lower clampjaw means of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of the upper clamp jaw means in FIG. I, looking at the front thereof from the pipe side, with the cutting chain being removed, the view showing the upper stop limit roller means rotatively mounted on the outside of the upper jaw means;

FIG. 7 is a side representation of FIG. 1, showing the two end cutting elements just beginning to cut into the wall of the pipe, with the upper and lower stop limit roller means spaced from the wall of the pipe;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 with the two end cutting elements cutting into the wall of pipe and with the upper and lower stop limit roller means just beginning to engage the wall of the pipe to limit the extent that the two end cutting elements may cut into the pipe; and

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIGS. 7 and 8 with the two end cutting elements almost touching each other.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The FIGS. of the drawings show a preferred embodiment of. the invention but this is only by way of illustration; it is not to be taken as limiting, the invention being limited only by the hereinafter appended claims.

The stop limit means may be incorporated into a cutting chain device comprising upper and lower clamp jaw means 10 and 11, first and second cutting elements 12 and 13 and including a cutting chain 14 having a plurality of cutting elements for cutting into the wall of a pipe 15. The clamp jaw means 10 and 11 may be substantially the same as that shown and described in my US. Pat. No. 3,129,865 issued Apr. 21, 1964, and may be actuated by any suitable means, as indicated by the power actuator 16. The stop limit means preferably comprises upper stop limit roller means 18 and lower stop limit roller means 19, see FIG. I.

The lower stop limit roller means 19 comprises first and second roller members .20 and 21 disposed respectively on opposite sides of the lower clamp jaw means 11 and mounted on the ends of an elongated pin 22 which connects the end of the cutting chain 14 to spaced jaw portions 23 and 24 of the lower clamp jaw means 11, see FIGS. 1, 4 and 5. The roller members 20 and 21 have a smaller diameter than that of the cutting element 13, whereby the cutting element 13 may cut into the wall of the pipe a predetermined depth before the roller member 20 and 21 engage the wall of the pipe. Thus, the roller members 20 and 21 upon engaging the wall of thepipe function to limit the extent that the cutting element 13 may cut into the wall of the pipe.

The upper stop limit roller means 18 comprises first and second roller members 27 and 28 disposed respectively on opposite sides of spaced jaw portions 29 and 30 of the upper clamp jaw means 11, see FIG. 6. The roller member 27 and 28 are respectively mounted on journal bolts 31 and 32 which threadably engage the spaced jaw portions 29 and 30. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the spaced jaw portions 29 and 30 may be reinforced against spreading by means of a cross-connection bar 33 having its end connected respectively to said plates 34 and 35 by cap screws 36 and 37. The two side plates 34 and 35 are secured respectively against opposite sides of the spaced jaw portions 29 and 30 by means of an annular shoulder 38 on the journal bolts 31 and 32. The roller members 27 and 28 are mounted on the journal bolts 31 and 32 at a small clearance space away from the side plates 34 and 35, whereby the roller members 27 and 28 may roll freely on the journal bolts during the cutting operation.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper clamp jaw means 10 constitutes chain receiving and engaging means for engaging a pin at a location dictated by the size of the pipe to be severed, whereby the chain may be wrapped around the pipe with a minimum of slack by drawing the chain as tight as possible and then hooking a pin into opposed hooking sockets 39 and 40 provided on the inside of the upper clamp jaw means 10. As

shown in FIG. 3, and as dictated by the size of the pipe, the

first cutting element 12 is mounted on a pin, identified by the reference character 41, fitting into a jaw socket 42. The journal bolts 31 and 32, upon which the roller members 27 and 28 substantially parallel to the pin 41 engaging the jaw socket 42.

The axes of the journal bolts, indicated by a crossmark and identified by the reference character 44, are disposed axially off to one side ofthe axis for the pin 41, see FIG. 1.

The roller members 27 and 28 are disposed to engage the wall of the pipe during cutting operation and function to limit the extent that the cutting element 12 may cut into the wall of the pipe. In cutting nodular (ductile) cast iron pipe, it has been found that, if the cutting depth of the cutter elements 12 and 13 are not arrested, the pipe will become deformed (buckle inwardly) at the places where the two cutting elements l2 and 13 are caused to out too deeply into the pipe, with the result that the remaining cutting elements will lose some of their force in cutting into the pipe for severing same. Thus, in my invention, all the cutting elements operate with full force to cut into the pipe.

The roller members and 21 of the lower stop limit means and the roller members 27 and 28 of the upper stop limit means are mounted laterally outside of their respective jaw means and are disposed to engage the pipe at a considerable lateral distance from the place where the first and second cutting elements 12 and 13 cut into the pipe. Thus, the roller members are supported by the pipe where it is strong and not where it has been weakened by the cutting elements cutting thereinto. There is no disposition for the roller members to deform the pipe inwardly. Added support is also provided by making the roller members relatively wide which further reduces any tendency for the pipe to deform inwardly. The roller members preferably have a width about the same as the diameter of the journal bolts or the diameter of the chain pins. My stop limit means, in combination with a cutter chain, constitutes a new cutting system means, and the invention is not limited to the stop limit roller means disclosed herein, but includes any provision for limiting the extent that the two end cutting elements may cut into the pipe. My new cutting system means will, of course, sever pipe made of cast iron and other fracturable materials since these materials are easier to sever than nodular (ductile) cast iron.

The FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are representations showing the relative positions of the first and second cutting elements and of the upper and lower stop limit roller members with respect to the pipe for progressive cutting stages of the jaws.

Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

1 claim:

1. Cutting system means for cutting into the wall of a pipe for severing same, said cutting system means having at least first and second cutting elements and including a cutting chain disposed to be wrapped around said pipe and provided with a plurality of cutting elements for cutting into the wall of the pipe, first and second pressure clamp jaw means, first pin means engageable with'said first pressure clamp jaw means, second pin means engageable with said second pressure clamp jaw means, said first and second cutting elements being respectively mounted on said first and second pin means, said first and second pressure clamp jaw means upon relative movement towards each other drawing said first and second cutting elements and said plurality of cutting elements inwardly against the wall of said pipe and forcing said cutting elements to cut into the wall of said pipe, and first and second stop limit means disposed to engage the wall of said pipe to limit the extent that said first and second cutting elements may respectively cut into the wall of said pipe.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein said first stop limit means is mounted on said first pin means.

3. The structure of claim 1, wherein said first stop limit means comprises body means mounted on said first pin means.

4. The structure of claim 1, wherein said first stop limit means comprises roller means mounted on said first pin means.

5. The structure of claim 4, wherein said roller means comprises first and second rollermembers disposed respectively on opposite sides of said first cutting element and laterally outside of said first pressure clampjaw means.

6. The structure of claim 1, wherein said second pressure clamp jaw means has first and second journal means extending in a lateral direction respectively from opposite sides thereof and disposed substantially parallel to and axially off to one side of said second pin means, and wherein said second stop limit means is mounted on said journal means.

7. The structure of claim 6, wherein said second stop limit means comprises body means mounted on said journal means.

8. The structure of claim 6, wherein said second stop limit means comprises roller means mounted on said journal means.

9. The structure of claim 8, wherein said roller means comprises first and second roller members respectively mounted on said first and second journal means. 

